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Ben Earl is discussing his cheat meal. He is a slave to routine but the flatbreads at his favourite restaurant, around 600 miles from England’s team hotel in Girona, are one thing that might prove difficult to resist.
‘I go to this restaurant called Straker’s in Notting Hill,’ he says, blood trickling from his knee following an intense afternoon training session.
‘It’s not far from where I live. They do the best flatbreads. I recommend the one with langoustines and mussels!’
There is a whiff of fresh jamon croquettes and Crema Catalana around the corner from us but Earl is the ultimate performance athlete.
His self-discipline rarely wavers, living his life to particularly strict principles since he was given a ticking off by Steve Borthwick after the 2023 Calcutta Cup.
‘There was a penny drop moment for me,’ he says, recalling the day that he was called into a meeting with Mako Vunipola and Dan Cole.
England flanker Ben Earl is relishing their pre-Six Nations training camp in Girona, Spain – even if he misses his favourite restaurant some 600 miles away!
Pictured after the 2023 Calcutta Cup. Earl says his ‘shocking’ performance in the match saw him ticked off by Steve Borthwick, and proved a turning point in his career
Earl is now one of England’s most important players, with his individual statistics often a barometer of the team’s success
‘It was after we lost to Scotland. Duhan van der Merwe scored in the far-right corner to win the game and if you look at me, it’s shocking. For want of a better word, I was doing nothing. Walking, going to places where I thought it would be easy for me to look after myself, running to the short-side where there was no one to defend whereas I should be running open and trying to tackle Finn Russell.
‘There’s loads of stuff I’m not proud of but looking back on it, it’s probably one of the best things that happened to me, because I learnt so much from that meeting. Steve said, “You’re not doing enough, you’re not doing what is required to play for England. You have every ability to start for England but you’re deciding not to do it”.
‘If I was to put a timeline on my career, that was a big moment.’
Now 28, Earl is in the prime years of his career. Known by his team-mates as ‘Riggsy’ thanks to his gladiatorial physique, a fitting nickname for one of England’s most dynamic performers.
‘Over time, you figure out what works for you. My food shop is so boring. There’s so much chicken breast, so much yoghurt, so much fruit. I always have spaghetti bolognese the day before a game. I don’t eat breakfast but I reckon 10 of my meals a week have chicken in. Two or three breasts, 10 times a week. My missus says, “Should we cook this?” but chicken and veg works for me. It’s dull but I feel ready to go come the weekend.
‘I used to walk 18 holes of golf with Schalk Burger the day before a game. The more I think about that, the more I realise it was completely nuts. It probably transferred into my rugby.
‘You might treat yourself to a couple of pints but you’re not out ‘til 2, 3, 4 in the morning. Now I have a membership at a nice sauna and ice place in Marylebone and I go almost every day. You end up asking yourself, “Does this help me perform on a Saturday?” Someone like Henry Pollock is probably still finding out his formula. It’s part of the journey.’
Earl’s lifestyle choices are reflected on the pitch. He was one of England’s standout players during the autumn and his individual statistics are often a barometer of the team’s success. During his down time here in Spain, he is reading The Reckoning by John Grisham. A courtroom thriller that offers some respite from the demanding targets he sets himself.
The 28-year-old has a wealth of experience to fall back on. With a World Cup and a Lions tour under his belt, he brings valuable Test knowhow
Earl is known by his team-mates as ‘Riggsy’ thanks to his gladiatorial physique
His performances could play a major part in determining whether England can win the Six Nations for the first time since 2020 this spring
‘Steve introduced a big thing to me called work index,’ explains Earl. ‘It’s the cumulative time between each of your involvements in a game. Tackles, breakdowns hit, scrums, carries. The lower the index, the better.
‘I like to get it down to something like one minute and twenty seconds, or one minute and thirty seconds. What really forced my hand was having a tangible number to go after. I get the index after Sarries matches and there’s a table with all the lads you’re competing with. The analysts tell you where you are and it’s a good motivator. It’s nice to know where you’re ranking.’
Earl measures himself against the likes of Pieter-Steph du Toit, Kwagga Smith, Gregory Alldritt and Fraser McReight. They are the household names in the Test arena but here in Catalonia he is pushed on by the youthful energy of Pollock, Guy Pepper, Chandler Cunningham-South and Greg Fisilau.
‘They give us more experienced lads a real kick up the backside but knowing when enough is enough is one thing I’ve learnt. Sometimes you can flog the horse so hard that it’s detrimental.’
Earl does indeed have a wealth of experience to fall back on. With a World Cup and a Lions tour under his belt, he brings valuable Test knowhow to England as they attempt to win their first Six Nations title since 2020.
He enjoyed a round of golf with Luke Cowan-Dickie at Quinta do Lago’s 2031 Ryder Cup course on Thursday but do not be fooled; England’s conditioning work has been intense as they chase the ultimate 80-minute displays.
‘One of my big challenges with England is trying to make 20 carries a game,’ adds Earl. ‘I rarely do, but if I’ve got the intent to make 20 carries a game then hopefully eight of them break the line.
‘I look at my work index, number of carries, tackle success – I like to get 85 to 90 per cent – and post-contact metres. I like to hit three out of four of those targets and have something to hang my hat on.
‘Steve openly told us that he’s going to put us in the toughest conditions in training here so we’re almost preparing for the worst. We will be attacking down one end, then Steve will be standing on halfway, leather the ball down the other end and say, “Off you go”. You’d be surprised how realistic that is in a game.
Earl takes a keen interest in the data available to him, setting himself a target of 20 carries in every match
He says young talents like Henry Pollock (left) are giving the more experienced players ‘a kick up the backside’
A keen golfer, Earl (pictured with England team-mates Marcus Smith and Jamie George, and professional Shane Lowry) recently played the course that will host the 2031 Ryder Cup
‘When you play the best teams, which we’re going to over the next six or seven weeks, then you can make one small error, the ball spills out of a ruck, and all of a sudden you’re back in your 22. It’s how you react to that. It seems nuts but I was cycling back from training thinking how that happened loads in the New Zealand and Argentina game. It’s how you climb out of those situations.’
No stone has been left unturned in England’s pursuit of silverware. Earl has not lifted many trophies during his Test career but he will fly back to London next week with clear targets in his mind.
‘It’s time to be really excited about what this England team can go and do. We’re feeling that excitement and expectation in a healthy way. We’ve had the heartache. In 2024 we were 30 seconds away from beating France, but thanks to my no arms tackle… In 2025 it came down to the last game. We’ve learnt a few things over the last couple of years and the next rung on the ladder is to go and win something.
‘We’re going to some tough places. Every team is so dangerous on their day. Maybe 12 months ago you’d say Wales looks like a nice way to start but, God, how hungry are they going to be?
‘Every game has got something in it. It’s going to be hard but we’ve got every chance. We’ve got the players, we’ve got the staff, we’ve got the plan, we’ve got the experience. It’s a long time since we’ve held some silverware. Everyone knows it. Everyone knows the craic. Everyone knows if we go in and perform the way we have been performing then we’ve got every chance.’
Time will tell if his next cheat meal in Notting Hill will be a celebratory one, but Earl is as ready as he has ever been.